The German state of Saxony is slowly
turning into a hub for hydrogen and fuel cell technologies. On Nov. 29, 2018,
around 160 people headed to Fraunhofer IWU in Chemnitz to attend the HZwo
Technology Forum, at which Martin Dulig, Saxony’s economy and transportation
minister, started up a new system manufactured by Fuel Cell Powertrain.

The AIDAprima cruise liner was ranked third by NABU, despite the use of heavy fuel oil.

Environmentalists have had the maritime sector
in their sights for some time. Cruise liners in particular emit large amounts
of pollutants on route to the world’s natural – sometimes seemingly untouched –
landscapes, or their diesel generators are running to power onboard systems
while they are docked. However, now that shipping companies are switching to
LNG, the market could see a change for the better. Fuel cells, too, could soon
play an important part in the design of cleaner marine propulsion.

Product approval will only be worth it if fuel cell cars are produced in greater numbers.

One thing that became apparent at the IAA Commercial Vehicles 2018 was that the issue of hydrogen tank approval had yet to be resolved. Though it had already been said years ago that tanks “must only get approved,” the process is taking much longer than expected. At present, there are few 700-bar type IV units for sale in Germany.

At least once a year, the German Hydrogen and Fuel
Cell Association, better known as the DWV, organizes a so-called parliamentary
evening in Berlin. Last year, on Nov. 8, 2018, the event took place in the
Embassy of the Czech Republic. A roll call vote prevented most members of the
German Bundestag from attending. Still, what Oliver Wittke, who works at the
German economy ministry, had to say that evening about “Changes to the Energy
System – Is Green Hydrogen the Solution?” did catch the attention of the industry
representatives who had gathered at the meeting.

Eleven founding members set up H2BX – Hydrogen for Bremerhaven Region as recently as two years ago. At the first meeting, the number had already climbed to 25, while there were more than 60 last November. The subsequent information event on “Hydrogen Technology in Practice – Prospects for Bremerhaven” attracted more than 150 attendees.

Hydrogen has finally entered the halls of power:
Last September, the gas, as well as storage, was a key topic at the meeting of
the EU countries’ energy ministers in Linz. Austria, which, at the time, held the presidency of the EU
Council, had put the creation of a Hydrogen
Initiative on the agenda, inviting all ministers to sign a joint statement
called the Hydrogen Declaration. Thomas Bareiß, who works at the German economy-slash-energy
ministry and attended the meeting on behalf of his government, put his
signature on the document as well.

In 2013, France’s government began cooperating
with the national Afhypac association on holding Journées Hydrogène dans les
Territoires, that is, Hydrogen Days in the Regions, each year in another one of
them. Last September, it was Occitanie’s turn to invite people to Toulouse.

Manufacturers of gasoline and, especially,
diesel vehicles are under growing pressure to come up with new options. At the
latest since the German transportation minister, Andreas Scheuer, stated in
mid-September 2018 that software updates alone would not be enough to fix
diesel emissions, the benefits of diesel models have been declining by the hour.
Meanwhile, politicians in many regions of the world have been crafting new
legislation to bring the era of combustion engines to an end.

Today, few car dealers can give consumers comprehensive
answers about electric vehicles. Regardless of the model, an EV is still a
curiosity in most showrooms. Either there is none on display or a single one is
standing in a faraway corner. On top of this, fuel cell cars are mostly unavailable
simply because there are not enough being produced. One exception to common
experience is Autohaus Päsler, a dealership located in Hamburg, Germany, where
highly competent staff members offer advice on both battery and fuel cell vehicles.

The German transportation minister, Andreas
Scheuer, was not among those who took a trip to Potsdam, in the state of Brandenburg,
to see the opening of the country’s 50th hydrogen fueling station on
Sept. 7, 2018. His absence, however, did little to stop those who came from
celebrating this particular milestone. The event attracted over 120 people,
including Kathrin Schneider, the state minister for infrastructure, and Jann
Jakobs, the then-mayor of Potsdam.